Social Finance is a not for profit organisation working in partnership with government, the social sector and the financial community to enable sustainable social impact at scale. We are the leading social investment intermediary and a centre of innovation in addressing social issues in the UK and beyond.

Social Finance has grown from 2 to 70 people over the past 10 years.

Social Finance brings together deep understanding of a range of complex social issues with financial and analytical rigour to develop sustainable funding models which drive social change. Some of the areas we work in include financial inclusion, affordable housing, vulnerable children and young people; recidivism, domestic abuse, health and social care. Our work in international development includes designing results-based models for issues such as maternal and neonatal health, education, employment and essential houshold services. Since we started in 2007, Social Finance has catalysed over £100m of social investment to tackle social challenges.

What are our goals and our values?

Achieving social impact and embedding change is at the heart of what we do.

We look for social impact first – our models are driven by social and then financial, returns.

We don’t just think, we put our work into practice, with a drive to action and implementation.

We apply financial and analytical tools to deliver sustainable social impact at scale.

More information can be found on our website.

About the Impact Incubator

The Impact Incubator was set up in 2014 by Social Finance with leading UK foundations to reimagine how we address some of society’s most challenging issues.

The ambition is to create models with the potential for sustainable national impact. To do this the team creates wide reaching collaborations with the voluntary sector, academics, local government commissioners, central government policymakers, communities, foundations and people with lived experience. Bringing together a variety of experience, expertise and viewpoint generates transformative insight and the ability to build models with real potential for change.

To date the Impact Incubator has focused on four issues:

Perpetrators of Domestic Abuse – in February 2016 we launched Drive with our partners Respect and Safe Lives working with high risk perpetrators of domestic abuse

Young people leaving care – we have established Leaving Well which is creating a digital tool to empower young people in their transition out of care

Black mental health inequalities - in 2017 Black Thrive launched. This is a partnership between communities and statutory services working to drive a transformative improvement in the experience of black mental health patients in Lambeth.

Refugee integration – in 2018 we launched Reset to accelerate the growth of community sponsorship across the UK to support refugee integration

In each of these issues we have worked with our partners to implement very different models with the potential for systemic change. In addition, during 2018 the Impact Incubator will be focusing on building new responses around:

Young people excluded from school

Access to legal advice and support

To date the Impact Incubator has mobilised over £9m of funding in support of the work developed. It is now a permanent feature on the landscape of social change, both developing new models, alongside implementing and scaling those in development.

About the job

The Associate Director position is a senior leadership role in the Impact Incubator team. It is an exciting opportunity for someone who believes that change is possible and wants to drive long term change to some of the UK’s most entrenched issues. This role is supported by national lottery funding provided by the Big Lottery Fund alongside funding from Esmée Fairbairn, Tudor Trust, Treebeard Trust, Comic Relief and Paul Hamlyn Foundation.

Associate Directors typically undertake day-to-day leadership and project management of social issue work streams, with strategic support from a Director. The Associate Director would generally oversee a number of projects with a project team of an Associate and an Analyst.

The Associate Director will lead and coach the team to:

Undertake research into a social issue

Codify and synthesise findings into themes and conclusions about the nature of the social issue and barriers to change

Build relationships with multiple stakeholders such as charitable foundations, charities, government officials, people with experience of the issue or academics

Bring together strategic partners to create and develop models for change

Present findings and test hypotheses with key stakeholders

Be creative in identifying or making opportunities for change and seizing those opportunities

Develop new business models and business plans with the potential to deliver sustainable scalable impact, drawing on knowledge of comparable models from other sectors/ markets

Develop financial models linked to the operating model developed

Create a coalition of support behind the response

Create the pitch for implementation funding (investment, government or philanthropic)

Drive the mobilisation of the responses developed, working with and through partners

Skills and Experience

We are looking for candidates with the following attributes:

Social motivation: a strong commitment to social change and a track record of tenacity in delivering impact

Strategic agility: ability to see ahead, has broad perspective and knowledge, can establish themes; can articulate credible vision and possibilities; creates breakthrough strategies and plans.

Strategic thinking with the ability to synthesise a breadth information to develop a compelling, system changing response

Delivery: a track record of making change happen

Partnership: Track record in building successful relationships and partnering with multiple and diverse stakeholders.

Effective communication skills at all levels.

Effective listening skills and the ability to be able to ask the right questions.

Strong social research skills with the ability to quickly synthesise and summarise key themes on unfamiliar topics.

Strong financial modelling skills.

People development experience and expertise.

Proven project management track record and risk escalation.

Experience managing and motivating teams.

Experience of producing innovative solutions to complex problems.

Experience of setting up or running responses to social issues.

About you

We are looking for individuals who:

Have a strong commitment to social change and a track record of delivering impact.

Have an ambition to address some of the most entrenched social issues in this country.

Are highly proactive and comfortable with ambiguity.

Are able to think ambitiously and creatively.

Challenge and question the status quo with a goal of driving and embedding lasting change.

Are self-starters; able to keep the momentum going within a project through creating deadlines for themselves and the team.

Have an entrepreneurial spirit and able to spot/ create opportunities.

Work with humanity and identify the strengths within all of those we work with.

We are seeking someone with at least 8-10 years’ experience potentially from a blend of sectors including charity, foundations, civil service, community organising, banking, finance or consulting.

Our commitment to you

Personal development is at the heart of the Social Finance offer. Every employee has a range of support in place, a buddy to help you settle within the Company, a Line Manager to support you in your career progression and the opportunity for a Mentor to guide your career. We’ll support your development with training, so you can add to your skills or relevant professional qualifications.

As well as a competitive salary, Social Finance offers a contributory stakeholder pension scheme, plus an uplift in salary allowance to spend on other benefits.

To help you fund your pension, further professional education or childcare vouchers we can offer a salary sacrifice scheme. Social Finance offers childcare vouchers, season ticket loans, bike to work schemes, and Give as you Earn.

Social Finance is a sociable organisation - we regularly schedule office drinks and sporting events. We organise events to raise money for different charities, and many staff members volunteer on a regular basis. We offer plenty of opportunities to get out, meet each other and make a difference by doing something, big or small, for others.

Compensation

Competitive salary, commensurate with experience and sector.

Application

Interested candidates should send a CV and covering letter detailing their interest in working at Social Finance highlighting relevant experience via the button below.

All candidates should state in their application whether they have the right to work in the UK or require a visa. If you do not explicitly state this in your application and include a covering letter your application will not be considered.

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